STRENGTH IN EVERY STORY™
18 Years to Migraine Relief After Serving in the U.S. Navy
Thomas’s Story, April 2025
As told by: Fabiola Palomo
Diagnosis received: Migraine, Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Symptoms: Throbbing pain, Knot on the right side of the neck, Neck pain travels to the top of the head, onto the front, Ice-pick stabbing head pain
Thomas was in the U.S. Navy for 20 years and is a retired E6 cryptologic technician. Back in 1992, when onboarding a frigate for a security alert, Thomas was vigorously running through the corridors when he clipped his head on the ship’s hatch and was unconscious for 15 minutes.
After the incident occurred, Thomas’s head pain would be mistaken for allergies and would later be more persistent, defined as migraine.
Detecting the Signs
Reflecting on the traumatic brain injury, Thomas recalled what led to the start of his migraine journey, “That’s basically the first thing that happened. I got 6 stitches [on] the top of my head. Back then, they didn’t really know what to do with anything like that, so they gave me Tylenol 3*. I took a nap, and then I went back to work.”
Complications arose 4 to 5 months after the incident, as Thomas began experiencing headache attacks. However, he suspected the cause wasn’t necessarily due to his injury. “First, I thought it was just sinuses and allergies… It [the pain] didn’t really start on the top of my head where the injury was,” recalled Thomas.
For treatment, he was given pain relievers and antihistamines, “I was chewing (tylenol} acetaminophen like Tic Tac® and [the] antihistamine (benadryl) seemed to work a little bit, so I was chewing both of those like crazy.”
In 1994, two years after his TBI, Thomas’ symptoms only worsened while on shore duty, and he ended up in the clinic one night. No treatment seemed to work, so the Navy Hospital Corpsman advised him to see a specialist. Soon after, Thomas saw a neurologist. “They started me on all the prophylactics… Six different variants… I’d take them for eight months. [I] usually had side effects, and they didn’t get rid of the migraine… like ‘OK, that’s not working’… I went through all that [the different prophylactics] and I went to a different neurologist,” shared Thomas.
Getting a Second Opinion
Through several X-rays and MRIs, it was revealed that Thomas had sustained neck injuries and started treatment on a rizatriptan. “It makes me drowsy, but it gets rid of the migraine.” Thomas also started receiving epidural injections in the spine to relieve the pain in his neck. “I was getting those [injections] and it helped! I went from getting 14-15 migraines a month, down to 2 or 3.”
However, after being stationed and retiring in San Diego, Thomas moved to Texas and sought the same epidural treatment he had before. He was met with short-lived trouble having issues getting it prescribed through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and was treated with onabotulinumtoxinA (botox) instead. “They sent me to a community care [center] out in town… those [injections] seemed to work a little bit better than the epidurals did,” he said.
Facing Pain in the Workplace
For Thomas, finding refuge in a darkened room and having a moment to himself when experiencing his symptoms made a significant impact. “I’m extremely irritable, trying to find someplace dark… and I’ll take my little pill to help get rid of it and [I] just want to be left alone for an hour or two. That’s about [how] long it takes [for] the medication to kick in.”
Like others facing migraine, it affects various aspects of life, including the workplace. Luckily, when an attack strikes at work, Thomas is surrounded by people who understand. “… I’ll tell my coworkers… ‘I get migraines. I took a pill. Just leave me alone for an hour.’ They’ll kinda keep an eye on me and direct other people away from me. It’s a pretty good team I got,” acknowledged Thomas.
Before the epidural and onabotulinumtoxinA (botox) injections and having to rely on previous medications like antihistamines, Thomas noticed the toll it took on his well-being. “I basically had to shut down. I had to call off [from] work, miss a day… It’s more manageable now since I started getting epidurals and onabotulinumtoxinA (botox).”
On a ‘Prophylactic Train’ Trip
To get where he is now, it took Thomas 18 years to better manage his symptoms. It wasn’t easy going through a trial-and-error of medications, and Thomas wished he could have jumped straight to the treatment that was most effective. “That would be great, to jump the prophylactic train… because having to go through all that freaking torture, [that] is basically what it is… You get a migraine, [and] you can’t function… You get extremely frustrated,” lamented Thomas.
“… when I get a migraine, I get irritable. I say a lot of things that I shouldn’t say to people.” Despite the moments of distress, his wife remained by his side and assisted him whenever he required additional help. “Luckily, my wife put up with it… If not for her, this process probably never would have happened.” Thomas’ wife gladly helped him stay and keep track of all the medications he was taking, especially when he felt disoriented from the treatment.
“I was a little loopy with the medications and everything, because I also get PTSD. The VA threw a handful of pills and let me go. So, that kind of messed with things, too,” shared Thomas. Without solely relying on his wife, Thomas himself also took the initiative in tracking his symptoms and possible triggers. “I used… Migraine Buddy. That’s the best one to use when you’re starting out, so you can see whether it’s food, or the environment, or some other thing… [that triggers an attack],” he added.
At the start of his journey, he kept detailed records of his migraine attacks to later discuss with his healthcare provider, but was met with a dilemma. “I was doing that and [with] everything that I was tracking, nothing lined up [when seeking a diagnosis]. That’s why they figured [and said] ‘It might be your neck injury… [It might have] something to do with that.”
Going Through the Known Phases of Obtaining Treatment
As it took Thomas 18 years to get answers, he reiterated how difficult it was to go through the series of medications that did very little to help. “… it is set up [like that] for a reason. I understand that because if a prophylactic works, you don’t need everything else [that follows].” His experience oftentimes involved trying the same medication twice with the VA, not having the full picture of his medical history and treatments tried when he met with community providers, and vice versa.
“They couldn’t see each other’s notes, so I’d print stuff out to take it to them. I had a folder… I was dragging around with all my migraine stuff.” Like many individuals, Thomas also felt he wasn’t receiving the highest standard of care with the limited duration of a doctor’s appointment. “Some of them, they only get 15 minutes to deal with you. They’re like, ‘Well, let me check.’ They’ll start poking a prod in here then, [it’s a simple], ‘Here, take this.’ Next,” said Thomas.
A Word of Advice
When seeking solutions and relief, Thomas advised that the first step to take is to stop suppressing or avoiding the pain you experience. “The Navy isn’t going to be like, ‘You need to take care of yourself.’… [You do it] on your own, unless you get a good supervisor who’ll explain things to you.”
He was lucky enough to have supervisors who urged him to seek the care he needed. “’Go to medical. Get it documented so at least it’s in there’. Someday later, whether you stay in for four years or stay in for 20, they got proof that you started this somewhere and you had an issue… and they can take care of you.”
Thomas also reflected on how, during his time in the Navy, there were limited opportunities or support systems in place to openly discuss health concerns. “They teach you to stay away from medical because you’re a ‘malingerer’ if you go to medical for issues all the time. I had to deal with that [name-calling] sometimes too.” Occasionally, Thomas was given a hard time and was unable to go see a doctor on the ship due to it being after sick-call hours.
“You have to [fight for yourself] because if you don’t, nobody else will. If you have a supportive spouse or family member that’ll help you out, [it might be just what’s needed].
*Disclaimer: The use of opioids is not recommended for the treatment of headache disorders or migraine disease. Evidence suggests they may be ineffective and carry significant risks of medication overuse headache and dependance. (American Headache Society, 2019)